Managing collections of episodic media content

Abstract

A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 accessing a user profile indicating viewing history; 
 determining, based on the user profile, a first rate of consumption of a first series of related episodes; 
 determining, based on the user profile, a second rate of consumption of a second series of related episodes; 
 determining, based on the user profile, a number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes; 
 determining, based on the user profile, a number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes; 
 identifying a first memory location and a second memory location, the first memory location being different from the second memory location; 
 automatically performing a first action for a first episode of the first series of related episodes by determining to store the first episode at the first memory location based on the first rate of consumption and the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of episodes; and 
 automatically performing a second action for a second episode of the second series of related episodes by determining to store the second episode at the second memory location based on the second rate of consumption and the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first memory location is an operator headend for receiving and transmitting broadcast content; and 
 the second memory location is part of a cloud storage system for storing and transmitting content. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating for display, in a particular order, a set of media asset identifiers comprising: (a) a first identifier of the first episode of the first series of related episodes and (b) a second identifier of the second episode of the second series of related episodes, 
 wherein performing the first action further comprises determining, based on the first rate of consumption, a position of the first identifier in the particular order; and 
 wherein performing the second action further comprises determining, based on the second rate of consumption, a position of the second identifier in the particular order. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating for display, in a particular order, a set of content source identifiers comprising: (a) a first identifier of a first content source at which the first episode of the first series of related episodes is available and (b) a second identifier of a second content source at which the second episode of the second series of related episodes is available; 
 wherein performing the first action further comprises determining, based on the first rate of consumption, a position of the first identifier of the first content source in the particular order; and 
 wherein performing the second action further comprises determining, based on the second rate of consumption, a position of the second identifier in the particular order. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a first popularity of the first series of related episodes across a plurality of user profiles; and 
 determining a second popularity of the second series of related episodes across the plurality of user profiles; 
 wherein performing the first action is further based on the first popularity; and 
 wherein performing the second action is further based on the second popularity. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 performing the first action further comprises determining, based on the first rate of consumption, whether the first episode of the first series of related episodes should be stored or transmitted in a first format that corresponds to a first bit rate or a second format that corresponds to a second bit rate; and 
 performing the second action further comprises determining, based on the second rate of consumption, whether the second episode of the second series of related episodes should be stored or transmitted in the first format or the second format. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 performing the first action further comprises determining, based on the first rate of consumption, whether the first episode of the first series of related episodes should be transcoded in a first format or a second format; and 
 performing the second action further comprises determining, based on the second rate of consumption, whether the second episode of the second series of related episodes should be transcoded in a first format or a second format. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the determining, based on the user profile, of the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes comprises determining a number of unviewed episodes in a particular season of a plurality of seasons of the first series; and 
 the determining, based on the user profile, of the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes comprises determining a number of unviewed episodes in a particular season of a plurality of seasons of the second series. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the determining, based on the user profile, of the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes comprises determining a number of unviewed episodes across all seasons of the first series; and 
 the determining, based on the user profile, of the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes comprises determining a number of unviewed episodes across all seasons of the second series. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first memory location and the second memory location is remote from a client device associated with the user profile. 
     
     
       11. A computer-implemented system comprising:
 memory circuitry; and 
 control circuitry configured to:
 access a user profile indicating viewing history, wherein the user profile is stored at the memory circuitry; 
 determine, based on the user profile, a first rate of consumption of a first series of related episodes; 
 determine, based on the user profile, a second rate of consumption of a second series of related episodes; 
 determine, based on the user profile, a number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes; 
 determine, based on the user profile, a number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes; 
 identify a first memory location and a second memory location, the first memory location being different from the second memory location; 
 automatically perform a first action for a first episode of the first series of related episodes by determining to store the first episode at the first memory location based on the first rate of consumption and the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes; and 
 automatically perform a second action for a second episode of the second series of related episodes by determining to store the second episode at the second memory location based on the second rate of consumption and the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first memory location is an operator headend for receiving and transmitting broadcast content; and 
 the second memory location is part of a cloud storage system for storing and transmitting content. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 generate for display, in a particular order, a set of media asset identifiers comprising: (a) a first identifier of the first episode of the first series of related episodes and (b) a second identifier of the second episode of the second series of related episodes, 
 perform the first action by determining, based on the first rate of consumption, a position of the first identifier in the particular order; and 
 perform the second action by determining, based on the second rate of consumption, a position of the second identifier in the particular order. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 generate for display, in a particular order, a set of content source identifiers comprising: (a) a first identifier of a first content source at which the first episode of the first series of related episodes is available and (b) a second identifier of a second content source at which the second episode of the second series of related episodes is available, 
 perform the first action by determining, based on the first rate of consumption, a position of the first identifier in the particular order; and 
 perform the second action by determining, based on the second rate of consumption, a position of the second identifier in the particular order. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine a first popularity of the first series of related episodes across a plurality of user profiles; 
 determine a second popularity of the second series of related episodes across the plurality of user profiles; 
 perform the first action further based on the first popularity; and 
 perform the second action further based on the second popularity. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 further perform the first action by determining, based on the first rate of consumption, whether the first episode of the first series of related episodes should be stored or transmitted in a first format that corresponds to a first bit rate or a second format that corresponds to a second bit rate; and 
 further perform the second action by determining, based on the second rate of consumption, whether the second episode of the second series of related episodes should be stored or transmitted in the first format or the second format. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 further perform the first action by determining, based on the first rate of consumption, whether the first episode of the first series of related episodes should be transcoded in a first format or a second format; and 
 further perform the second action by determining, based on the second rate of consumption, whether the second episode of the second series of related episodes should be transcoded in a first format or a second format. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine, based on the user profile, the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes by determining a number of unviewed episodes in a particular season of a plurality of seasons of the first series; and 
 determine, based on the user profile, the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes by determining a number of unviewed episodes in a particular season of a plurality of seasons of the second series. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine, based on the user profile, the number of unviewed episodes of the first series of related episodes by determining a number of unviewed episodes across all seasons of the first series; and 
 determine, based on the user profile, the number of unviewed episodes of the second series of related episodes by determining a number of unviewed episodes across all seasons of the second series. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first memory location and the second memory location is remote from a client device associated with the user profile.